Jointer fence



H. E. TAUTZ 1,975,562

JOINTER FENCE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 2, 1934'.

Filed May 25. 1953 ATTORNEY Oct.2,1934. H, E,TAUTZ' 1,975,5 2

JOINTER FENCE Filed May 25, 1953 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 -51 56 13:; EEG-a9 7 I i ii 68 59/ v OR Z1 A 7 7 ORNEY Patented Oct. 2, 1934 1,975,562 JOINTER FENCE I Herbert E. Tautz, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to The Delta Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application May 25, 1933, Serial No. 672,814 3 Claims. (01. 144-253) The invention relates-to gages or fences .for jointers and other machine tools.

An object of the inventionis to provide a workguiding gage or fence for the table of a machine tool, such as a jointer or other woodworking machine, capable of being tilted in either direction from a perpendicular position with respect to the table and having its perpendicular and other positions accurately determined by stop 1 means including a compactly arranged and easily manipulated stop member, which is slidably -mounted and movable at will into and out of stopping position. Another object of the invention'fisto provide means whereby the angular movement of the fence in one direction will move the stop member out of stopping position.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple but effective means for clamping the fence 2 to a machine table.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a front end view of a jointer fence embodying the invention, the fence being in a perpendicular position with respect to a table;

Fig. 2 is a similar view but showing the workguiding face of the fence at an acute angle to the table surface;

Fig; 3 is also a similar view but showing the work-guiding face of'the fence at an obtuse angle to the table surface;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the fence mounting taken along the lines 4-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a reg end view of the fence;

Fig. 6 is a front view of the fence bracket and slidable stop member thereon, parts being removed and parts being shown in section, the stop member being in its outer free position;

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a detail view showing the fence in a passing stop-shifting position, and Fig. 9 is a detail view of a modified form of slidable stop member.

In these drawings, 15 designates the work-supporting table of a jointer having the usual cutterhead, not shown. The front end of the table is provided with an open-ended guide channel 16, which extends transversely along the under side of the table in parallel relation to the axis of the cutter-head. The opposite side portions of the channel are formed with grooves 17 of rectangular cross-section having aligned horizontal lower .55 walls 18, the front groove having a vertical wall 19. The upper wall'of the channel has a longitudinally extending beveled abutment 20. The

table construction'above described is similar to that shownin my United States Patent No. 1,790,288, issued January 1, 1931.

A bracket 21,.preferably of die-cast metal, includes a rectangular horizontal plate portion 22 which forms flanges 23 at opposite edges slidably,

fitting in the table grooves 17, the bottom faces of the flanges resting on the lower walls 18 of the grooves, and 'the vertical face of the front flange engaging the vertical wall 19 of the front groove. Ribbed portions of the brackets 21 depend from the channel 16 and extend forwardly of the front edge of the table to join a vertical" v front plate 24. The front plate carries "areargy lug or projection 25 having therein a vertical downwardlyopening bore 26 threaded to receive a clamping screw 27 provided with a handle knob 28. The bore 26 communicates at its upper endwith an inclined bore 29 opening at its upper end at'the upper surface of the plateportion 22. A plunger 30 slidably fits in the bore 29 and has a reduced upper end engageable with the beveled table abutment 20. The lower end of the plunger 30 is conical and is engaged by the fiat upper end of the clamping screw 27. The

upper movement of the clamping screw 27 is communicated to the inclined plunger 30 which engages the beveled abutment 20 to force the flanges 23 of the bracket 21 downwardly and forwardly into firm engagement with the lower and forward walls 18 and 19 of thechannel grooves 17, thus accurately positioning the bracket with respect to the table.

The front plate 24 is of semi-circular shape and. has a flat vertical front face which is brought into a plane at right-angles to the upper surface of the table when the bracket is clamped to the table. arcuate segmental rib 31 integral with the brac et 21 projects from the front face of the front plate 24 and is concentric with a horizontal axis which is normal to the front face of the bracket and which lies substantially in the plane of the top surface of the table 15, or in some instances, slightly above the table surface. A part of the rib31 ishere shown to project above the front plate 24.

A crescent-shaped sector plate 32 slidably bears against the vertical front face of the bracket and is provided with an arcuate segmental groove 33 within which slidably fits the segmental 'rib 31 on the bracket, to thereby define for the sector plate 32 an axis of angular displacement lyface of the jointer table. A threaded stud 34 is rigidly secured to the front plate 24 of the bracket to project at right-angles thereto and passes through an arcuate slot 35 formed in the sector plate 32. A hand wheel nut 36 isscrewed onto the stud 34 and bears against a washer 37 to clamp the sector plate 32 to the bracket 21 in angularly adjusted position. A coiled spring 38 housed in the nut 36 and surrounding the stud bears on the washer 37 to provide frictional retention of the sector plate 32 when the nut is loosened. The arcuate marginal portion of the front face of the die-cast bracket 21 is slightly depressed and has moulded thereon a scale 39 co-operating with an index pointer 40 securedto the plate 32 to thereby facilitate the angular adjustment of the plate.

A fence member or gage plate 41 is rigidly secured to the upper portion of the sector plate 32.

by means of screws 42, and presents a fiat workengaging face 43. The fence member overlies the table and may be similar in construction to that disclosed in the above patent. In the present instance, the scale 39 is of the zero-center type and the reading of the scale is zero when the fence member is in a perpendicular position with respect to the table.

In order to expedite and insure the accurate placement of the fence member in any one of several much-used angular positions, such as the vertical position and positions spaced 45 from each side of the vertical position, stop means are provided for limiting 'the angular movement of the sector plate 32. The sector plate 32 carries a plurality of spaced lugs 44, 45 and 46 on its arcuate marginal portion. Stop screws '47 are threaded in the respective lugs to form abutments therewith and each is secured in adjusted position by a set screw 48. A stop bar 49, consisting of a flat metal strap, slidably fits in a shallow channel or guideway 50 formed in the bracket front plate 24 and is held therein by a fiat cover plate 51 inlaid in the bracket and secured thereto by a screw 52. The longitudinal axis of the channel extends in a plane substantially perpendicular to the table surface. The screw 52 passes through a slot 53 in the stop bar to limit the maximum travel of the bar. The stop bar is selectively held at its inner and outer positions by detent means comprising a ball 54 urged by a spring 55 into one or the other of a pair of recesses 56 formed in the stop bar, the ball and spring being housed in a bore 57 in the bracket 21. The stop bar 49 has a bent offset outer portion which in an irmer position of the bar lies in the arcuate path of travel of the stop screws 47, and in an outer position clears the lugs 44, 45 and 46, so as to permit angular movement of the sector plate to any desired position. The outer end of the stop bar is provided with a finger opening 58. In the modified form of stop bar 49 shown in Fig. 9, the outer end 58' is looped to form a finger hold.

The assembly comprising the fence member 41, sector plate 32 and bracket 21 is of unitary character and is capable of being shifted transversely the fence member 41 extending longitudinally of the table and at right-angles to the axis of the cutter-head.

If the fence is to be used in the vertical position shown in Fig. 1, it is swung to a position permitting the stop bar 49, then in its outer position, to be pushed to its inner position in the path of the stop screw 47 of the lug 45. The fence is then swung in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1, to bring this stop screw into engagement with the stop bar, which places the fence in an accurate vertical position. If the fence is to be used in the angular positions shown in Figs. 2 and 3, or in certain other angular positions, the stop bar is shifted to its outer position out of the path of the lugs 44, 45, and 46, either by pulling it out with the fingers, or by cam action with the lug 44, as indicated in Fig. 8. By swinging the fence counter-clockwise from the Fig. 1 position, the

lug 44 is brought into cam engagement with the offset portion of the stop bar to move the stop bar outwardly. The lug 44 may thus pass the stop bar if the fence is to be used in the 45 position of Fig. 2, or the lug 45 may pass the stop bar if the fence is to be used in the 135 position shown in Fig. 3. For each of the latter positions the stop bar is returned to its inner stopping position to insure accurate placement of the fence. Upon swinging the fence counterclockwise from the position shown in Fig. 3, the stop bar can be shifted outwardly out of stopping position by cam engagement with the lug 45. The stopping portion of the stop bar is closer to the guideway for the bar when the bar is in stopping position, than when the bar is out of stopping position, thus obtaining the greatest rigidity when it is most needed.

By means of the adjustably mounted fence the work-piece may be guided for receiving cuts at various selected angles. If desired, athe stop screws can beadjusted to provide for fence angles other than those indicated. The slidable stop member and stop abutments are here shown to be mounted on the bracket and fence member, respectively, but in some instances this relation may be reversed. The compact mounting of the shiftable stop avoids the use of an outboard bearing for the stop, and this is made possible without increasing the projection of the fence from the end of the table.

While the invention is here shown to be embodied in a fence for a jointer table, it will be obvious that it is applicable generally for guiding work on the tables of various machine tools.

The vertical mounting of the clamping screw 27 facilitates the adjustment of the screw and makes for a compact and relatively light-weight fence bracket, while the inclined plunger can be placed in a favorable position for urging the bracket downwardly and forwardly against the walls of the grooves or ways 17.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A gage comprising a pair of relatively movable pivotally connected members one of which has an abutment, a shiftably mounted stop on the other member engageable with said abutment to determine a desired angular relation between said members, and means for moving said stop out of stopping position by relative angular displacement of said members in one direction.

2. A gage comprising a pair of relatively movable pivotally connected members one of which has an abutment, a shiftably mounted stop on the other member engageable with said abutholding said stop bar in said channel, and a fastening element securing said retainer to said channeled member and passing through said slot to limit the longitudinal movement of the bar, said stop bar having a portion engageable with said abutment to determine a desired angular relation between said members, and said stop bar being slidable at will out of stopping position to clear said abutment.

HERBERT E. TAUTZ. 

